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Summary

Short stretch of concrete anti-tank obstacles on southeast bank of River Axe. Part of the Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940. Visible as a row of small structures on aerial photographs taken in 1947 and 1948, but probably removed or destroyed soon afterwards.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY29NE/291/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ANTI TANK OBSTACLE (Constructed, World War II - 1940 AD to 1940 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 1424-1425 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

A row of small structures is visible.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431, 3199 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356746.

Short stretch of concrete anti-tank obstacles visible on RAF 1948 aerial photo on southeast bank of river Axe.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 RP 3199-3200 22-JAN-1948 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359315.

A row of small structures is visible.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

An interrupted row of four small structures, just over one metre in width, is visible on aerial photographs taken in the late 1940s. They are interpreted as an anti-tank obstacle that forms part of the Second World War Taunton Stop Line established in 1940-1941, and seem to fortify a gap in the earthwork bank that runs along the east side of the river (MDV117274). They have been transcribed as rectangular in plan, although their form is hard to distinguish from the available imagery.
The 1948 RAF prints held by Historic England have been recorded here as an additional source because there is a possibility that the prints may have been processed differently to those held by Devon County Council. This would potentially result in images on which archaeological features show slightly differently.
None of the structures are visible on later available aerial photographs, suggesting that they had been removed or destroyed by river erosion.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 1424-1425 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #93827 ]
SDV356746	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2431. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 3199.
SDV359315	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2431. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/2431 RP 3199-3200 22-JAN-1948.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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